Chapter 21
Konnichiwa minna-san! Well, I was hoping on getting this chapter up sooner, but I didn't make it. Um... homework and writer's block are the things to blame!
I don't know how this happened, but this chappy ended up being like a flashback special... Don't ask me why, it just came out like this when I was writing the outline for it!
Now, a couple of messages for my reviewers!
Videl, you should know that I can't resist cliffies! And as usual, there's one at the end of this chapter!
Ooshii Kurai... I've never seen so many 'wows' in one review! Arigato!
Sammy-chan... You're right, I probably would trap Chibi Gohan in a bear hug! LOL! I also didn't know that you were still banned from the net... Bad, bad Sammy-chan!
Yeah, I know it's a bad thing, Professor Authordude!
Arigato Kinto'un, what you said made me feel much better! But unfortunately, writer's block did get me... Oh well! Hopefully it won't get me next time!
And Caith, thanks for telling me about it being in the Ginyu Force section... I must have accidentally changed that when I was editing my story... hehe.
Well, that's all from me! Oh yeah, one more thing before you go ahead and read... I DON'T OWN DRAGON BALL Z!
Please review! ^.^
Gohan looked in utter disbelief at Bodu, his whole body trembling with terror. The Cehang-jin was so strong, so incredibly strong! Gohan hadn't sensed such power since since his fight with Cell.
He could hardly even imagine that he, Son Gohan, also embodied such ki, even if it did flow so far beneath the surface that it was almost impenetrable. It was still quite astonishing that such levels could be reached. Cell's ki had been no where near the level as Bodu's was now.
Somehow, he recognised Bodu's new mien as the same creature that he had became during the fight with Cell. The same demon who had said that he would win, and that he would kill Cell, its voice so confident that it carried not even the slightest tang of failure.
However, he did not understand how he could recognise those startling, hateful, turquoise eyes; or the magnificent golden crown of hair that rose toward the sky, with one solitary bang partially covering the right eye.
His eyes lowered their gaze to the now calming sea, the waves slowly losing their towering splendor.
He didn't know how he could remember or maybe he simply didn't want to know.
Ignoring the latter, he tried to find that memory, careful to keep the veil that shielded his mind in place.
Something was blocking him though, stopping him from being able to find what he sought for. However, that didn't stop him from trying.
Closing his eyes to help his concentration, he pushed against the boulder that was obstructing his path, while at the same time, keeping an 'eye' on the Cehang-jin who had not spoken since his spectacular transformation.
Perseverance won, and he finally managed to find that forgotten memory, which had been shoved right to the very back of his mind. It began to play
It was only a couple of months before the confrontation with Bodu. Gohan had already developed a strong, shining bond with his Totochan; The two brothers had become almost inseparable from the moment they first laid eyes on each other.
Gohan was very protective of Goten, always keeping a constant eye on the ki of his brother, and rarely ever being too far away. Many times he had sensed a slight decrease in Goten's ki, and had stopped whatever he was doing to rush to where his Totochan was, even though his Kaasan was usually already there with him.
One of the reasons for his protective nature, was that he was afraid of losing anyone else dear to him, just as he had lost his Tousan. A part of his heart had been burnt to smouldering ashes when Son Goku sacrificed his life to save Chikyuu-sei, and it could never be replaced. Goten was always a constant reminder of that loss, and it inspired him to protect all that he loved and cherished.
The other reason, though this was not known to Gohan, was that Saiya-jin tended to be protective of those they truly cared for. However, it didn't mean that they always showed it, like in Vegita's case.
The day that Goten said his first word was also a stormy, dreary day. Rain had been falling since the night before, and had seemed to only become more heavy as the hours went by.
Goten was sleeping soundly in his crib, tiny wisps of ebony hair lightly brushing against his face, soothing, sighing sounds emitting from his tiny mouth.
Chi-Chi was taking a nap, and had asked Gohan to feed his Totochan for her, as she was feeling quite exhausted from having to stay up the entire night before to try and coax Goten into entering the mysterious land of slumber. Her oldest son had not had much sleep either, but he obediently agreed to follow his Kaasan's wishes.
When Gohan entered the room and saw Goten sleeping so peacefully, he was awestricken that the little demi Saiya-jin who now slept so quietly, was the same one who had been crying the whole night before. A tiny smile spread across his face at the adorable scene, and he decided to feed Goten later when he had awoken.
As he walked down the hallway towards the kitchen, he walked briskly, yet lightly, careful to not place a step onto any of the creaky floorboards that were so abundant in the house.
All of a sudden, Goten let out a loud wail, and then began to cry. Gohan ran back to the nursery in the blink of an eye, panic and haste causing him to drop the warm baby's bottle that he had held.
Peering anxiously into the crib, he saw his Totochan kicking his sheets, his cries so loud and high-pitched that Gohan couldn't help wincing with his Saiya-jin hearing. Goten was also trembling, so Gohan assumed that his Totochan had been having a nightmare.
Swiftly, he gracefully whisked Goten and the bed sheet into his arms all in one motion, careful not to harm his already distressed little brother. He began to coo softly, trying to reassure Goten that it was all right, that he was there to protect him.
Chi-Chi had awoken to her youngest son's cries, and had ran to his aid almost as quickly as Gohan had.
When she saw Gohan cradling his Totochan in his arms so gently, she gave a sigh of relief. A smile crept onto her face as she thought of how lucky she and Goten were to have Gohan around. He seemed to be more and more like his Otousan every day.
Goten was now giggling happily, Gohan tickling him softly, a smile upon both of their faces. When he had finished cheering up Goten and was about to place him back into the crib, a quiet, happy voice murmured, "Tousan!"
Gohan froze as he heard that word, its very essence cutting deeply into his soul. His body began to tense, and he felt as if he couldn't move.
Goten of course couldn't understand that the one word that he had said was one that was hard for his Niichan to say, let alone hear, and continued to chant, "Tousan! Tousan!"
By now Chi-Chi had heard her youngest son, and had noticed how uneasy Gohan had become she could actually feel from where she was standing how tense and edgy he was. She knew that those words deeply affected him, and just hearing them must have been almost unbearable for him.
She slowly began to edge towards her two sons, careful not to make any sudden movements, as Gohan looked as if he was going to bolt at any second. He was still frozen, his mind and spirit seeming to be in a whole different place, making his body look like an empty, trembling shell.
Goten noticed the echoing silence, and in an effort to be rid of it, he whispered softly, "Tousan?"
Chi-Chi was now beside her sons, trying to comfort Gohan. She desperately wanted to tell him that Goten did not understand the meaning of his own words, and that Gohan should not take it so seriously; but the words would not come out as she tried to speak.
Taking a moment to recollect herself, she was about to try speaking again, when she was interrupted by Gohan. He roughly shoved Goten into her arms and darted towards the door, his eyes not making any contact with hers.
Goten's tears were instantly reawakened, and he began to cry once more because of the way Gohan had thrust him into his Kaasan's arms.
Chi-Chi's eyes widened as she saw where Gohan was heading. Using all the speed that she could gather in her lithe body, she rushed towards the doorway, putting herself between Gohan and the exit. Before she could brush them away, tears began to form in her eyes. She cried out to her son, a strong sense of urgency and worry within her voice, "Please stop, Gohan! Don't go! You can't keep on blaming yourself for your Otousan's death!"
The boy paused for a moment, trying to decide whom to listen to: the voice that was screaming for him to leave, to avoid hurting someone; or his own Kaasan who was begging him to stay. The voice from the back of his mind won however, and he pushed his Kaasan to the ground, not seeming to notice that she was still holding Goten.
Leaving the house, he fled into the woods, the sound of his Kaasan who was still begging him to come back sounding distorted, and his vision so blurred that he could hardly see where he was going. He had been caught within the middle of a great, confusing tornado, losing all control of his senses and his mind; he had no idea where it would lead him.
* * *
After running for so long, Gohan finally stopped at the same river that flowed into the transcendent waterfall where Piccolo usually meditated. He did not cease because he was exasperated, but because whatever had been pulling him blindly by an invisible chain to the waterfall, had disappeared into non existence, and now he wasn't quite sure how he had found himself so far away from home.
His confusion was so great, that he still did not have complete control over his six senses, and could not sense the ki of Piccolo who had taken to the air when the half Saiya-jin had arrived.
Piccolo could feel that his friend had lost control of himself, and he had thought that it would be wiser for he to give the boy some room. Many events of the past had taught him that Gohan was not safe to be around when he was overtaken by a powerful emotion. Most of the time, it was burning fury, but this it was chilling confusion and sorrow.
Gohan finally began to regain control of himself, the last hour's incidents rushing back into his mind. He could remember very little at first as it all seemed so hazy and gray. But then the fog began to lift, and the happenings of that day became as clear as glass.
He recalled how he had shoved Goten into his Kaasan's arms, how he had pushed her out of the way when she had been trying to stop him from leaving. He was horrified that he had actually pushed his own Kaasan, though it was even more unsettling when he saw that she had also been carrying his Totochan.
The episodes of his memory then rewound back to the scene that had caused him to lose control of himself as he had so many times before: when Goten had said, "Tousan?"
I How can I possibly be a good son and a responsible older brother when I carry out such horrendous things?! How can I look Goten in the eyes again It's my fault that our Tousan died! It's all my fault!
Letting out an incredible scream filled with grief and guilt, Gohan gave in to the mystical, golden metamorphosis; gave in to the demon who was also a part of him, something he could never change.
However, Gohan wasn't lusting for blood or vengeance like he had all of those other times when he had given in to anger. No, this time, it was different.
In an almost seemingly transfixed state, he flew towards the crashing waterfall and followed its descent, letting the water drench him, as his golden ki swallowed the moisture. He finally came to the end of the waterfall, which spilt into a large lake and continued outwards through tiny streams. The streams looked like a spider's legs, and the lake was its body.
He hovered just above the smooth, glasslike surface of the lake, glancing down at his reflection. A pair of turquoise eyes stared back up at him - a powerful look of death from the victory of battles reflected inside of them. A lone, golden bang hung over his right eye, as if symbolising the same great loneliness that he had felt ever since Son Goku had died.
A crystal tear rolled down Gohan's cheek and fell into the water, causing his reflection to blur as ripples on the water's surface began to grow.
Gohan's eyes and hair began to darken, and so did his vision as his ki was depleted and vanished into nothingness. When he had been running, he had been using almost all of the ki that he could while remaining in his normal state, and the effects were now taking their toll on him. He began to fall into the lake, yet did not try to stop himself as it swallowed him whole.
Piccolo quickly dived into the water from his vantage point in the air and pulled the boy out of the water. His eyes softened the slightest bit, as for a moment he felt the same heartache that Gohan had been feeling. Deciding that Chi-Chi would be worried, he began to carry Gohan back home.
After the long forgotten memory had finished playing, Gohan was shocked. He had actually forgotten that whole day, including when Goten had said his first word, and when he had been cast into the 'spider lake.'
Interrupting the demi Saiya-jin's thoughts, Bodu spoke up for the first time since transforming, and asked, "What's wrong, Son Gohan? Are you too afraid to fight me?!"
Gohan scowled. That same voice that echoed from the back of his mind, whom he identified as his Saiya-jin instincts, were ordering him to gain more power; to transform into the thing that lived within him. He wouldn't be able to defeat Bodu without doing so
But how could he?
To be continued